Robert Frost's poem "A Cliff Dwelling" reminds me of the people who must have lived here "Oh years ago--ten thousand years" and enjoyed the beauty and safety of a cliff. A place "to rest from his besetting fears". Welcome to mine.

In 2014 I featured a series of blog posts introducing you to 2,014 names. For the most part they were names that were brand new to me as well. Some names may be more familiar but I found the meaning or origin or some other aspect of the name made it worthy of inclusion here. You may love some of the names, you may hate some, but hopefully you enjoy learning about all of them.

Names Featured on this blog

Sunday, December 27, 2015

GIRLSAbenena - Achsah -Elmira - variant (according to behindthename.com) of Almira and a shortened form of the Spanish Edelmira, which is the feminine variant of Adelmar, which is derived from the Germanic roots 'adal' meaning 'noble' and 'meri' meaning 'famous'. In English this would be said 'ell my ruh' but in Spanish it is 'el mee ruh'. Adelmar would have been brought to Spain by the Visigothic invaders.Gratia - Not sure if I've featured this name before. It's not wholly new or unknown to me. But to encounter it outside of ancient Rome rather is. Still not the most recent use, I discovered it as a descendant of an American soldier who fought in the War of 1812. What do they call this war in Britain, I wonder? Gratia come from Latin

Lucene-

Savilla -Sury -

Urania - Greek

Vira - I found this as the name of a granddaughter of a woman named Elvira, so it would seem to be a nickname for that. Elvira, according to babynamespedia.com, is a Gothic name derived from the elements:

"al meaning 'all' ; ali 'foreign, other' ; gail 'lively' ; wers 'true'. An old form of the name is Geloyra (Gothic). The name is of obscure Visigothic origin; it could be from the first element al, ali (meaning 'foreign, other') or gail, combined with the second element 'wer'; with al the name is taken to mean 'true to all'. The name has been used by Spanish speakers since the Middle Ages, but English speakers first took it up only in the 19th century.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Sunday, November 15, 2015

I now have memorized completely the first chapter of Exodus. Quite a moving scene to end with. If a movie ended this way you'd be able to count on a sequel. The last sentence, as spoken by Pharaoh to 'all his people':

Every son that is born shall ye cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

I'm working on Leviticus now (and of course, continuing to practice Genesis 1 and Exodus 1). They've killed the bullock and built a fire. There are 17 verses and I have memorized 6 and am working on the 7th (where they build the fire).

I've managed to learn the names of every book of the Bible in order (that was a feat in itself). I'm working on knowing the first word of each book now. I've about got the New Testament on that order. Even a few first verses. The Old Testament is a bit more of a challenge that way.

Numbers is moving on at a snail's pace. I have memorized the first 5. Verses 6 through 15 list the names of the men that God said would stand with Moses from every tribe. I've got the tribe of Reuben in verse 5 (Elizur the son of Shedeur. No, I do not know how to say Shedeur.)

Deuteronomy has moved on a bit better. Maybe as more is happening there.

Friday, October 30, 2015

I've finally got down pat the entire first chapter of Genesis, King James Version, by heart. All the creeping things and herbs bearing seed and fruit yielding seed and winged fowls and such. And, it turns out, I only have about 3 more verses to learn in order to have all of the first chapter of Exodus learned by heart. I only have the first few verses of any of the other books of the bible learned so far, though. I am trying to know the first word of every book of the Bible, and this should help me remember the order of the books in the Old Testament.

I learned the first word of the books in the New Testament in just about one sitting. Since half of it begins simply with "Paul". The rest are the names of the few other writers, or words like the. God is in there once to begin a book (the book of Hebrews). Though, of course, now that I have the first word for each of those, the aim is to move right along. I think I have the first little bit of each verse of the four gospels. And the other books should be easy as they all say who is writing and then who they are writing to and give you a sense of the purpose of the writer, or how they see their calling, etc. It helps make it easier to remember.

A similar thing helps with the Old Testament. Except that there is the added sense of placing everything along a history timeline. The first year of Cyrus King of Persia, for instance, or of Darius. Knowing that the last book of both halves of the Bible begin with an ominous air. Malachi is "The burden" of Malachi, as he sees the end of things. And The Book of Revelations is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which, as you know, is also about The End of things.

At least 4 books in the Bible begin with beginnings, Genesis, of course, with "In the beginning" and the Gospel of John which also begins "In the beginning", Matthew, which is "The book of the generation" of Jesus Christ and Mark which follows Matthew and is "The beginning of the gospel" of Jesus Christ. You could add to that 1 Chronicles which begins with Adam, I suppose, as well.

I suspect that remembering the verses in other chapters will take a little more study to learn well, than these 'verse 1's.

Monday, October 12, 2015

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God, created he them, male and female created he them.

That's the verse I've learned. Now I'm working on verse 28 which goes

And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living creature upon the earth.

I think that's it. I'm also making good progress with the other books of the Bible. Soon enough I will be able to focus on finishing Exodus 1.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

I'm still working on memorizing this verse, but at least I have moved on to memorizing the entire verse, instead of just the first half.

Exodus 1:15 says

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the other, Puah.

Honestly, I think I have that down and could move on to the next verse, but just to make sure I'm giving myself another day on Exodus 1:15.

Leviticus 1:3

The first part goes like this:

If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd

The first part of Numbers 1:2 that I am now learning goes:

Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel

I am now learning Deuteronomy 1:2

(There are eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kardeshbarnea)

I am learning the rest of Joshua 1:1, I already have Now after the death of Moses it came to pass
and now I'm adding

that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

I am continuing learning Judges 1:1. I already have "Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass" and now I'm adding

that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying,

I've got the first line of Ruth, which says "Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled,"
and I'm finishing that sentence off with:

that there was a feminine in the land. And a certain man, of Bethlehemjudah

I thought I'd start the next sentence since it is similar to the beginning verse of 1 Samuel. In that verse I've learned "Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim." Now I'm adding

of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah.

I've learned the start of 2 Samuel 1:1, which goes "Now it came to pass", but keep forgetting the next part, so I'm still learning that, which goes

after the death of Saul

1 Kings 1:1 has been easy so far, and I have memorized "Now King David was old, and stricken in years" and the next part says

and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

2 Kings begins "Then Moab rebelled" and now I'm ready to learn the next part which says

against Israel after the death of Ahab.

Now I can start memorizing 1 Chronicles 1:1, which is super short and easy

Adam, Sheth, Enosh.

It is the first book of the Bible to begin with nothing but names. You'd think it was Numbers or some earlier book, but no, it's not til Chronicles that this happens. Once I have this down, I can begin learning 2 Chronicles.

1st Chronicles is the 13th book of the Bible. I feel like I'm making good progress.

I've learned the most verses of Genesis, where I've memorized all of the first 25 verses and most of verse 26. I've learned the next most verses in Exodus, where I've learned all of the first 14 verses.

Genesis 1:14 says And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years.

Exodus 1:14 says And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; all their service wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

The verse in Genesis is God deciding to give enlightenment to the whole world. Not just physical light, which is done, but intellectual and social enlightenment, by making lights that can be used as signs, seasons, days, and years. It is a great gift to give and has such foresight, but hopeful foresight. The verse in Exodus is a man who was worshipped as a god, as the kings of Egypt were, who has led his people to enslave their neighbors, to look at the world and people and the future with fear and loathing and dread. What a contrast!

The next book that I've learned more than one verse for, is Leviticus, where I have learned the first two verses.

The 2nd verse of Genesis 1 says

And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The 2nd verse of Exodus names four of the tribes of Jacob

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah

The 2nd verse of Leviticus says:

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering to the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

These verses are rather disparate and it's not so easy to find anything to compare them with. But, the 2nd verse of Genesis describes what was and what God did. The verse in Leviticus states what the Lord wants Moses to say to his people about what they should bring as an offering. The verse in Exodus is telling us who these people were descended from.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

I now have the rest of verse 21 down pat, and, as you know, am doing my best with that whole "And the Egyptians made the Children of Israel to serve with rigour" in Exodus. I've also picked verse 1 of Leviticus back up. Change of scenery, cue the tent and vast uninhabited desert scenery. "And God called unto Moses out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying". I have to remember to keep things simple and easy. I add in words that aren't there. When I feel confident with verse 1 of Leviticus I can move on to verse 2. God gives Moses instructions for how sacrifices should be made. The nitty gritty details of life. You can think of it as religion, in a way it is, but mostly I just think of it like the Health Department. Have you any idea how many rules and policies those people have? God seems a little less picky when you put it in perspective.

I love the Exodus story. It is so moving and inspirational. And even in Leviticus, I think, see, Moses didn't give up on God even when he droned on and on about how to properly cut up a sheep. He paid attention, took notes, briefed everybody. Threw up his hands, certainly. He got pissed. But, he stuck with it.

And those are the bare facts folks. A lot of the inspiration we need in life is not how to mount an insurmountable obstacle. It's how to keep on with the tedium of life and still want to keep at it. Maybe not when you're 25. Nothing is tedious at 25. It's only somewhat tedious at 30. But trust me. You'll get there. Unless you have a hormone disorder or something, it will get tedious.

Open Exodus, Leviticus, and end with Genesis. Nothing like "And God said, Let there be light, and there was light" to make things seem better.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth which the waters brought forth abundantly

But, though I started memorizing the next bit today, I lost most of it! I left, for one thing, the wings off the birds, and that just will not do. Let's go with the King James Version (decidedly, by the way, the most eloquent one):

after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

I am resolved, also, to move forward with my memorization of the other books of the Bible. I've been hovering myself, over verse 12 for a while now. Exodus 1:12. I've been messing up the first phrase there:

But the more they afflicted them

That's correct. I was just saying "But the more they were afflicted"

It makes a difference. One version makes you think a bit more about who is doing the afflicting. And therefore the consequence of their action, since what follows says how the direct object of the sentence (them, or the people of the children of Israel) responds to the bad behavior of the subject (the Egyptians and afflicting). The other version makes you simply think of a people who is bearing a difficult burden, they are mistreated and abused. It does keep their response, to multiply and grow. In the end what you think about the situation is at least slightly affected, or mine is. It says 'hey Egyptians, wake up, this isn't working! Think outside the box already'.

Instead, of course, the Egyptians just keep it up. "And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour".

It's not like your trainer at the gym or your math teacher or coach. They want them controlled, unable to prosper, to not be any sort of threat or concern or worry for them. It's a national security issue, plain and simple, and basic economics. Keeping order, etc. Still. It's sad to think how many lives opened and closed and no one saw a better way to live with their fears and dangers and enemies. They didn't have a lot of the luxuries we have today to help them be better people. So, it does seem we could do a bit better the world over. Even countries that are so poor have more than people had then.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

That's what I'm calling them anyhow. These are names that 'appear' on the bottom of the list of names at the Social Security Administration puts out each year. I don't mean the bottom of the top 1000 names but the bottom of the whole list. They look at applications for social security cards and present the information on all except those names given to fewer than 5 children, in an effort to protect privacy.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

The steps to the porch of my grandmother's home. My mother's mom. Where Mom mainly grew up. More than a hundred years old on a farm that, longer ago than that was covered with dead soldiers in the Civil War. And before that, probably a farm for a hundred years. And before that? Absolute paradise.

And now, an abandoned, boarded up house with snakes in the cellar and a trailer park before it and a freeway behind it.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

I have the first 19 verses of Genesis down pat. Well, somewhat pat. I get nervous over certain words or word order. But mostly, just fine. It's verses 17 & 18 that are tricky. Verse 19 a two year old could learn in 10 minutes. (And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.)

But owing to not feeling super confident over those two verses, I'm waiting before I start the fifth day, which begins with verse 20. An easy way to remember this is that 5 does not divide into 19 or 18 or 21, but it does go evenly into 20, 4 times in fact, and the fourth day happens right before the fifth day. So, 4 times 5 = 20 and therefore, Genesis 1:20 begins the fifth day of creation. We're about to start having action!! Day 6 sets the scene for the plot to unfold, after Day 7, which, in case you were wondering how to write a good play or novel or song or poem, etc, remember, a pause in the right spot is key.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light. And there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness.

And God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night.

And the evening, and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

And God said, Let the waters which are under the heaven be gathered together unto one place. And let the dry land appear. And it was so.

And God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas. And God saw that it was good.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth, and it was so.

And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit whose seed was in itself, after his kind. And God saw that it was good.

And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Verse 15:

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the Day from the Night, and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years.

Verse 16

And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. And it was so.

Verse 17:

And God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the Day and the lesser light to rule the Night; he made the stars also.

And that's how far I've gotten. Verse 15 I struggled with and verse 16, but now I've got tem down pat. And 17 wasn't too hard to learn. I'm ready for verse 18 now!

It's really neat the influence this has on my day and my life. For instance, as I showered last night I tried to fit the words of this chapter into a song, using the tune for How Great Thou Art (it seems to have been the inspiration, in a way, after all, for that song).

Saturday, August 29, 2015

I have a goal to memorize as much of the Bible (old and new) as possible, along with understanding it all and knowing in which part each thing takes place, where to find this thing or that. I saw that movie The Book of Eli and just LOVED that part of the movie. That he carried that book with him til his death and short of taking away parts of his brain, nothing anyone did could take the book completely from him.

I suppose I also love that in that book Fahrenheit 451 all those people have each memorized an entire book. (someone ready to memorize War and Peace??)

To that end I've begun with the first chapter of every book. I've focused most on Genesis 1 and can now say the first 14 verses flawlessly and the 15th verse with a little less certainty (but nearly flawless now). I'm ready for verse 16, or, I've started on it. So you know, if you want to know when the 'greater' and 'lesser' lights are made to rule Day and Night, it's verse 16.

I also like knowing how to compare each verse of scripture to a matching one elsewhere in the Bible. What's the point of knowing the words without them having some use? I mean, other than it's pretty. I can do better with the first and fourth verses of each book than I can with the 16th, as I have not made it that far in any of the other books. I'm almost as far in Exodus as I am in Genesis. It helps that so far each of these verses have been short. I don't know what I shall do when I get to Isaiah and after the Gospels in the New Testament. Wondering how long that will take me! I will enjoy updating you all on my progress.

Oh, this is the King James Version of the Bible. The prettiest, to my knowledge. But wouldn't it be fabulous to know at least key parts of the Bible by heart in other versions (wording)? Or perhaps, just to be able to say it in Hebrew or something (I don't know Hebrew so I suppose that's something for my old age, if I'm blessed to still be able to memorize when I am old).

By the way, this puts me halfway through memorizing Genesis chapter 1 as there are 31 verses. Once chapter 1 is down pat I will be working on all those other chapter 1s of the Bible before moving on to chapter 2. So, if you want to take this challenge then you could do all of Genesis, easily, before I make it back to chapter 2.

No people, no animals or fishies or birds or buzzing things yet. But seas and land and grass and fruit and herbs and seeds. And the firmament, of course, the waters above the firmament. Earth and Sky, Day and Night. Seasons, days, years. Signs (so, comets? supernovas? aurora borealises? what else?)

Were we all to gather to recite the books we have memorized in full one day, it could be San Franciscco (ideally, Alcatraz) as in the movie The Book of Eli. Or as in Fahrenheit 451 we could meet under a bridge or in a clearing or abandoned railroad yard (I forget exactly where it is that they convene). Or, if we went Old Testament, we could meet on Mt. Sinai or in Jerusalem or the pyramids of Egypt.

New Testament style we could go to the edge of the Sea of Galilee, or Bethlehem, to Samarkand (where I imagine the Wise men meeting up before going on to see the baby Jesus). Not Rome. I just think of lions ripping 9 year olds and 90 year olds apart while someone eats the olive and drinks and laughs up in the seats of the Coliseum.

Let me know if you decide to do this challenge in some form (or if you've already done this) and share your progress along with mine, if you'd like!

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

I came across these Spanish names while doing background checks for my work. They were new to me, though I'm sure they've been around a while. I think there are a few that are not Spanish, but I'm not really sure what language they are.

GIRLS

Jaquea

Toris

Verenice - I'm sure this is just an alternate spelling of Berenice, since the B and V are said the same in Spanish. But I have met Spanish speakers who use the English pronunciation of a letter, such as saying the J in Jasmine, instead of pronouncing it more like 'Yas meen'. It's so gorgeous like this - Verenice. Pronounced 'bear eh nee say'. It's even still nice if said in English, pronouncing the v as a v. 'ver niece'.

BOYS

Celso - the Spanish version of Celsius. It's just so odd to run into a modern person named Celso

Efren - I have probably encountered this before, but I am more accustomed to Efrain (eh fry een) than 'eh fren'

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Well, new to me, anyhow. Somewhat old, in fact. I came across these in genealogy research tonight (Maryland in the first days of the Republic).

Girls

Lethea - there was an Alethea a few lines before this, so I'm guessing that Lethea was either her nickname or someone else was called this, either for a nickname or as a given name. Alethea, a Greek name, is not new to me. Lethea is though.

Levisa - I think it is probably just a phonetic spelling of Louisa, but as said by a German speaker.

Rhodoe - I think it's Rhoda, but still need to look and see if this might be something else.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Wilda - I'm wondering if it is pronounced with a short i or a long i sound and if the w is said as a w or as a v.

BOYS

Heartless - There were actually 2 men I found in genealogy research with the first name Heartless. I am trying to figure out 'why' this was used as a name. Do you know? Please let me in on the secret! I'm very curious.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Cervis - a colonial Virginia soldier, circa 1700, so maybe this is a phonetic spelling of Service? A sort of Puritan name? Or a phonetic spelling of something else. Could Gervaise seem like this? Maybe the name was transcribed wrong, and was actually Gervis not Cervis. Could Cervis be an actual name, independent of some other origin? If so, what would it be?

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Ran into this name some months ago. I still haven't gotten around to researching it but this blog is a bit like a notebook to remind me which names I want to learn about. At the same time, you get to learn about them when I do. If you know anything about it, let me know!

Odalis - used in Spanish for a girl. 'oh dah lees', emphasis on the last syllable

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Shalda, for instance. This is a name I heard in court today. I know how it sounded (shawl duh) and that it was a youngish black woman who had it. I don't know its origin or meaning. If it is a created name I would wonder how they came up with it and of course, how is it correctly spelled? Since my spelling is just a guess. I'm curious about it so if you know anything, let me know!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

It's been a while since I shared some of the unusual names I've run into. Here are a few with a promise that I'll post more another day. It's possible that some of the names aren't as unusual as others, like LaVonne, still, they seemed interesting and worth knowing more about, especially more about their origin.

Girls
Ehrengard

LaVonne

Laerke

Melior

Palatyne

Pressyne

Boys

Abargi - Sumerian, name of a king of the ancient city of Ur (more well-known as the biblical Abraham's hometown).

Check out the top 100 names on the Social Security Administration's list of names given to babies in 2014. Since we've already looked at the first half of the list, now let's focus on the second part.

To begin with, on the boys' side, only 2 names advanced from the bottom 50 names to the top 50 (Oliver and Aaron). Jase actually fell out of the top 100 boys' names in 2014, going from # 89 to 105. 16 spots!

Names that rose: Grayson, going from 77 to 63, 14 spots

Names that fell:
Gavin fell out of the top 50 names, going from 49 to 60, 11 spots
Tyler, dropped from 63 to 72 , 9 spots
Zachary also dropped, from 73 to 82, also 9 spots

Tristan and Damian bowed out, at 101 and 102 this year, while Asher snuck in, coming in at 93 from 104. Ryder and Leo are two boy names that entered the top 100 in 2014. Ryder's move was respectable, going from 103 in 2013 to 95 this year, 8 spots. Leo did a bit better, going from 112 up to 97, 15 spots. Oliver is the only name that outdid Leo on the boy's portion of the SSA list, in terms of how much change in rank he experienced. This is the first year Ryder has been in the top 100 names, only entering the top 1000 in 1994 at 951. Leo is an interesting case. He is more popular this year than last, by a few hundred births. Even though fewer than 700 Leos were born in 1903 that is the year the SSA lists as his best, when he was ranked 38.

The girls names in the second half of the above list show more movement than the boys do. Names that moved into the top 50 names from the bottom 50 in the top 100 names:
Ariana, from 54th in 2013 up to 37th in 2014
Penelope, from 56th to 42nd ... 14 spots
Skylar, from 73 to 48... 25 spots
Nora, from 83 to 49 ... 34 spots

Nora is the 'big news' of the top 100 names this year.

Some names dropped from the top 50 into the bottom 50 of the top 100 names.
Hailey, from 43 to 51... 8 spots
Kaylee, from 41 to 52 ... 11 spots

Monday, May 11, 2015

A very quick look. Not much changed. Names fell or rose only a little. Only 2 boy names entered the top 50. 56 more little Aarons were born in 2014 than in 2013, which resulted in pushing Aaron from 51 up to 50. Oliver joined the top 50 and is the biggest news for this portion of the SSA list. As for names that fell, none fell much. A few dropped 7 places, names such as Nathan and Ryan. After Oliver, which had been ranked 52 and jumped to 32, Sebastian gained the most ground in the top 50, going from 45 to 34.

The girls' names are a different story. Victoria didn't move many spots, but what she did do was enter the top 20, going from 25 to 19. That's 7,184 Victorias versus 7,955, a difference of nearly 800 more babies with the name.

Only 3 new names joined the top 50 girl names in 2014: Penelope, Nora, and Skylar.

Obviously, Nora is the biggest news in the top 50, on either the boys' or girls' side.

Other names to note:

Aria - rose to 31 from 40 last year. That's 5,104 Arias in 2013 and 5,893 in 2014. 789 more Arias last year. I'm sure Aria will overtake Victoria in no time.

Scarlett rose just one place higher than Aria, to 30 and came farther, well, by a couple spots, she was ranked 42 in 2013. In real numbers, that's 5047 versus 5965. That's 918 more Scarletts in 2014 than in 2013. Another name I expect will overtake Victoria. Will she stay ahead of Aria?

Aria might just be part of an 'ari' trend (in which case, I wonder if Victoria didn't start it all with her 'oria' ending, with Aria and other similar names now being used as a less common alternative). Arianna only rose 4 spots in 2014, from 44 to 40. But Ariana entered the top 50, rising from 54 to 37, 17 spots. The most movement this high on the list. In real numbers, that's 4396 Arianas in 2013 and 5461 in 2014. More than 1,000 more Arianas. Ariannas and Arianas combined numbered 10,701 in 2014 and only 9,378 the year before. Over two years, that's 20,079 Arianas/Ariannas that were born in the U.S.

Some names fell a bit. Aaliyah went from 37 to 45. But some names dropped out of the top 50 altogether. Alexis dropped to 64 from 46 (18 spots!) and Nevaeh stuck with her, going from 47 to 65 (18 spots). Sarah stayed with us, by the skin of her teeth, going from 48 to 50.

Not too many changes. I think some are due to people choosing different spellings more and more, so names like Jackson, Aiden, Jayden, and Sophia haven't actually become less popular. People are just choosing to spell them differently. This can be seen in the rest of the list, by the number of spots taken up, essentially, by one name. Jackson is a great example. Falling from 16th place to 17th isn't the whole picture. Because Jaxon ranked 46th. Together they represent 20,056 baby boys with the same name (but different spellings). Jaxson was ranked 85th, with 4900 births. Added to the previous total that's 24,956, and we're just getting started. There are a LOT of different ways people have spelled Jackson. Not one name in America was used that many times, at least, using only one spelling of the name. Since 2005. This explains why you can hear of or meet a lot of babies or children with the name even though the name fell on the SSA list. Just that spelling of the name fell. The name itself could be even more popular.

The Social Security Administration released today, in honor of Mother's Day, the top names given to babies in 2014. You can view the whole list by clicking here. We will examine the list in a series of posts over the next year. Let's begin with the exciting, and, in my book, best news.Emma is the new #1 girl's name. I predicted Emma would overtake Sophia last year, but I was off by a year. Sophia dropped to number #3. The top 5 girl names (the royalty, so to speak) are:EmmaOliviaSophiaIsabellaAvaI had also been thinking that Olivia was a firm favorite and despite its widespread use over more than a decade that it would hold its own. I did think Isabella would drop more, so it surprised me that she didn't. The boy's list didn't change much at all.NoahLiamMasonJacobWilliamIs it just me or could the next battle for #1 be between Mason and William? I predict next year Mason will rise even more as will William. But I can't decide whether or not to go so far as to say that Noah will be unseated (unseeded??) from his throne by one of the two. I don't see Liam as making it to #1, at least at this point. Noah could stay on top for a while.The bottom half of the top 10 baby names didn't change much on the girl's side. Elizabeth was lost (boo!) but Charlotte took her place. With the new princess named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, I predict that next year Charlotte will rise even more (and Elizabeth might return to the top 10). Though, I think she would have regardless. But the best news of all I've saved for last. James is back in the top ten!!! Look folks, of childbearing age, the power lies in your hands. YOU could make the best name in the world a top 5 name. Nay, a # 1 name!! I'm very happy with the boy's top ten, especially as the trade was an improvement - Jayden dropped back out. I can't decide if that will stick though. It is an overexposed name, but may be a new classic, so it might not drop much more than it has. It will be interesting to see. Here are the top ten names for boys and girlsNoah, Liam, Mason, Jacob, William, Ethan, Michael, Alexander, James, DanielEmma, Olivia, Sophia, Isabella, Ava, Mia, Emily, Abigail, Madison, CharlotteAmazing how Madison is holding her own. I thought she was done in the top 10. I'm also surprised Emily and Abigail didn't drop more. Nice to see Daniel rounding off the bottom of the top 10. It's a solid name. And with my recent fascination with ancient Babylon and the insane levels of courage displayed by early Christians who faced death by lion and, well, there are probably 7 more obsessions I've been indulging that tie in very well to the story of diligent and daring Daniel. What are your thoughts on the top 10 Baby names of 2014? (well, there are 20, 10 for each gender)

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

The royal baby has been named. I wouldn't have picked Charlotte for the first name, but it is a nice way to honor grandpa. What I DO love about the name Charlotte are all the possible nicknames.

Charlie
Char
Cherry
Sherry
Carly
Lottie (my favorite)
Lettie
Charo (well, for teasing at least)
Cara
Carrie
Caddie
Kit
Kitty
Cissy
Shawl (yeah, one of those 'just at home with family' kind of nicknames)
well, heavens, Choo choo then too, if we're going to have goofy nicknames here.
Cotton
Chel (or Shell)
she might even get 'car lot' once or twice in school, which won't be great in the way it would be meant there but it reminds me that I DO love Carlotta. Very pretty.
oh yes, Scarlett would be a decent nickname for Charlotte
Lollie
Lotus (kinda digging this one right now)
Lotus reminds me of the Hindu name Kamala (KAH muh luh), which is very pretty in its own right, so, were she my niece, I'd take full advantage and call her that from time to time
Carrot!! How could I forget this! I think it's rather adorable

The princess' full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, which is very pretty. I approve. I like Diana much more than Charlotte, though. But then, I was a little girl when Princess Diana got married and had her babies and so I do have a bit of bias there.

Maybe Charlotte won't have any more brothers or sisters. But then again she might. And should she, well, and her brother George too, for that matter, here are some nice names to consider for their siblings:

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and

David - it's not a family name but it is a handsome name
Francis - yes, it's mostly a girl name lately, but if anyone can bring it back to being fully unisex, the royal child should be able to, right? I really do like it just as much for boys as for girls
Phillip - nothing wrong with namesakes, I say

Bianca - not so English, I guess, but so lovely and matches both George and Charlotte well
Thomasine - I'm realizing these names will all be butchered when actually said by the English. Bianca will sound like beaker or banker or something and Thomasine? something like Thompson, I guess. I'm only advocating the pronunciation I know. Otherwise, the deal's off!
Madeleine - despite its Frenchness. it's swell!

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Since England has a new princess today, I thought it might be fun to rename one. This is another portrait I found of Queen Elizabeth II, when she was still a princess. I didn't post before Elizabeth's full name:

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary

The painting was done when Elizabeth was 7 years old. Before she was Queen, she was Princess of York. Her oldest son Charles is the grandpop of the newest little princess, who will be Princess of Cambridge. Charlie is the Prince of Wales and his son William is the Duke of Cambridge. But he is also a prince, so Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. His son is the Prince of Cambridge, George. So let's rename Elizabeth a few ways. Give her a wholly new name (first and two middle names), then additionally try using one of the names she currently bears as part of a name. Give her a name based entirely on people on her family tree (for instance, Georgiane, for her father, or Victoria, a little farther back on the tree). Lastly, come up with a name for the new princess that incorporates a tribute to Elizabeth in it.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

If you're like me, then you'll look at this picture and think it is a little girl. Not so, this is Prince Alfred of England who lived 2 short years. But what if he had been a she? What name would you have given this child? I like Antonia Prudence.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

All the women in Modigliani's paintings have a characteristic tilt or curvy shape to their bodies and are generally represented with elongated bodies. Their necks are disproportionately long, even their arms and legs seem too long, especially for how thin they are. This girl is no exception. What name would you give her?

Friday, April 17, 2015

What name do you imagine a man, this down on his luck, might have had? It was painted in 1924 by Norman Rockwell, so it was before the Great Depression. But people have always had hard times, and some people always do. I thought Eubous fit him nicely, picking a name from the ones I introduced you to last year. It seems interesting enough for such a person. His dog, I think, named Kit, for a brother or old friend named Christopher. Or a son. I'm picturing him in Florida or some southern state, where it doesn't get too cold at night.﻿

Friday, April 10, 2015

Her name is Olivia Palermo. I came across her browsing People.com's website. I have no idea who she is, though she must be famous for something to be on People. BUT all I need to know is that she has a fabulous name. Can you take on the task of renaming someone who is already perfectly named?

Let's see what you've got! Can you equal the name she's got or improve on it? I'll settle for just coming close, if I can. Genevieve Poirier

Sunday, April 5, 2015

This is a picture of a World War II soldier I got from the BBC website. I don't know if the little girl is his daughter or a child he is comforting that he encountered as a soldier. Anyhow, give him a name and the little girl also.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

I love this painting. What a clear and beautiful representation of human life, of the "best" and the "good". Of course, none of us, in reality, are as beautiful and good as paintings suggest. But we all have our aspirations and our innocences, things that are new to us and unsullied. Like knowing how to knit. Give the woman a name and tell what things the names suggests about its bearer.

Camilla Esther - Both names to me represent someone who always tries to do their best, who look for the good in others even though they are well aware of each person's weaknesses. Like the preschool teacher who encourages each child and delights in their unique personalities and gifts to the world, but who knows which one may skin their knee or forget to wash their hands, and makes sure that they do, leading them on a path to being more independent and better off.

Someone named Camilla strikes me as a quiet sort of woman who enjoys the artistic and creative pursuits available to her. She might devote herself to learning to play a flute or gardening or pottery or writing poems. Esther makes me think of Queen Esther in the Bible, both physically beautiful, spiritually aware and caring, and yet quick as a whip. She's the student who graduates high school early, peer tutors, and solves all sorts of problems before they've ever happened. She still strikes me as quiet, but not so quiet that she does not speak up when she feels she must and it matters. But she's not a prattler or easily provoked.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Whether or not you guessed Elizabeth, the current queen of England, pick a couple of new names for the youngster. One fitting for a princess and one where her future isn't already planned out.

Elizabeth is a great name, I think, for a Princess or not. Bess would be an adorable nickname for the little one, or Betty. Were I to rename her I might go with Alice Ann, or for a princess, Katherine Cecilia Amandine Georgette.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Well, maybe not 'boys' exactly, they do seem more middle-aged. A band of musicians, gypsies, from who knows where and when. Name the 'band' as well as each musician.

My idea is Skullcap. I'm just fascinated by their headwear and think that Skullcap works as a name for a modern band. The boys are Z (the guy with the hookah), Off (cuz he never wants to be photographed front and center, thus always showing his rightside profile), Cheers (the guy at the table, who is perpetually in a good mood), and Moto (cuz he's always bent over).

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

He was the second husband of Margaret Ayres, whose first husband was William Forster. She was married to William in 1780 and he died at the end of 1823, so it is reasonable to assume that the marriage to Reuben came sometime after 1823.

William Forster was born in Londonderry Township, Lancaster County (which later became part of Dauphin County). Served in Colonel Burd's regiment of Lancaster County associators in the Jersey Campaign of the American Revolutionary War. He and Margaret were married Nov 1, 1780 by the Reverend John Elder. He was born Oct 9, 1754 and died Dec 24, 1823 (what a sad Christmas for his family! But a nice long life for back then, at age 69)

Of Reuben the book says he was "of Paxtang Township" and that they had "no issue". However, Margaret did have 3 children with her first husband William Forster:
Mary Forster born Sep 8, 1781, married April 1800 James Kirk
William Forster born March 21, 1784, died July 29, married Martha Cochran
James Forster born August 25, 1787, married Margaret Ayres.

I'm not sure if these folks are any relationship to me or not. Captain Samuel Lockhart married a Mary Foster in the early 1800s in Ohio and her father, Nathaniel Foster, had served in the Revolutionary War and was from New Jersey. Samuel's father was Robert Lockhart who had lived in Lancaster during the War and also spent time living in Chester County, PA.

source: Pennsylvania: Genealogies oChiefly Scotch-Irish and German
by William Henry Egle, page 257.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Monday, February 23, 2015

For a change we are going to rename a fellow whose full name we know. Keep the last name of Pfautz but give him a new first and middle name. Arthur Samuel is very handsome but choose a more modern name this time around.

When I look at this adorable little girl picking buttercups, I immediately think of the movie "The Princess Bride" whose main character is a peasant girl named Buttercup. As delicate and nice as the flower is, it does not make the best name, as flower names go. Let's give this girl a few different sorts of names. First, an appropriate flower name. Second, an appropriate princess name. Third an appropriate medieval peasant girl name. Fourth, a hippie name. Fifth, a more modern 'country' name. And sixth, a nice name that would work nowadays.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Found this portrait online and thought it would be fun to name this child. I'm not exactly sure if it's a boy or a girl, so let's give it a name for a boy, one for a girl, and one that works for either gender.

John Denny in New Castle County, Delaware

"Egoiste"

Lockhart House

Was this the Samuel Lockhart, captain of the Sloop Mary in the 1720s?

First Regiment Maryland Infantry - Civil War

from vol 11 page 185 of Historical Papers and Addresses of the Lancaster County Historical Society

From the Pennsylvania Archives

Samuel Lockhart - landowner in Augusta County

Josiah and Robert Lockhart - subscribers to a new road from Philly to Lancaster June 1792

land Josiah Lockhart (not the Brigadier General) had title to in Pennsylvania.

My Great-grandmother's Family Tree

Harriet Esther Laramie was my father's paternal grandmother. Her father was French Canadian and an early settler of Escalante, Utah. Harriet was a beekeeper and ran a ranch and raised 10 children on her own after her husband died in his forties. My dad has fond memories of "Grandma".